Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckabri’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckabri’, characterized by its unique dark hot pink-colored bracts that become lighter pink with development; sharply pointed bract apices; dark green leaves with sharply pointed apices; compact and upright plant habit; very freely branching habit; early flowering; and excellent postproduction longevity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Eckabri’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a mutation induction breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the Inventor's Poinsettia development program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars having interesting bract and leaf display, desirable bract and foliage color and form, strong and freely branching stems and good post-production longevity.

The new Poinsettia originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of the commercial Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar ‘Pepride’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,183, to gamma-ray radiation at a level of 3,000 rads. The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 1997. The selection of this plant was based on its unique bract color.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at Encinitas, Calif., has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are detemined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Eckabri’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Eckabri’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Unique dark hot pink-colored bracts that become lighter pink with development.

2. Sharply pointed bract apices.

3. Dark green leaves with sharply pointed apices.

4. Compact and upright plant habit.

5. Very freely branching habit.

6. Early flowering.

7. Excellent postproduction longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the parent cultivar, ‘Pepride’, primarily in bract coloration as bracts of plants of ‘Pepride’ are red.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Eckabri’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Eckabri’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical bracts and leaves of ‘Eckabri’ (left) and ‘Pepride’ (right).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif., under commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 22 to 24° C., night temperatures about 16 to 18° C., and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants were grown in 16.5-cm pots, pinched one time, and flowered under naturally lengthening nights during the fall/early winter.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckabri’.

Parentage: Induced mutation of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar ‘Pepride’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,183.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 12 to 18 days at 26 to 28° C. Winter: About 15 to 18 days at 24° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 26 days at 26 to 28° C. Winter: About 26 days at 24° C.

Rooting habit.—Thick, freely branching, becoming fibrous with development.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle; top of plant rounded.

Growth habit.—Compact and upright. Very freely branching. Branching is enhanced by removing the shoot apex.

Plant vigor.—Moderate.

Plant height.—About 23 cm.

Crop time.—From unrooted cuttings to a flowering plant in a 16.5-cm container, about 16 weeks are required.

Stem description.—Number of lateral branches: About eight lateral branches are formed after removal of the terminal apex. Lateral branch length: About 13 cm. Internode length: About 7.5 mm. Stem color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About 6. Length: About 9 cm. Width: About 8 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate; irregularly lobed; sharply pointed apices. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, dull. Mostly glabrous with very slight pubescence on lower surface. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 146A. Young foliage, lower surface: 146B. Mature foliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A. Mature foliage, lower surface: 147A. Venation, upper surface: 146B. Venation, lower surface: 147C. Petiole: Length: About 2.75 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: 182A.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flower initiation and developement can be induced under long night conditions. Early flowering, response time is about eight weeks.

Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch, usually about eight per plant.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 27 cm. Height (depth): About 6.5 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: Usually about 16 primary bracts and about 7 smaller secondary bracts per inflorescence. Length, largest bracts: About 13.5 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 12.5 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate; irregularly lobed; sharply pointed apices. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, velvety; folded slightly upright at midrib. Aspect: Somewhate erect. Color: Developing, upper surface: Rosier and not as grayed as 53C. Developing, lower surface: 53C to 53D lighter towards margin. Mature, upper surface: 54A to 54B lighter towards margin; color fades to 54B to 54C with subsequent development. Mature, lower surface: 51C to 51D lighter towards margin.

Cyathia.—Quantity: Usually about 15 per corymb. Diameter of cyathia cluster: About 2 by 3 cm. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 5 mm. Color: Immature: 144B. Mature: 144A. Peduncle: Length: About 3 mm. Aspect: Strong, erect. Color: 144B. Stamens: Stamen number: Very numerous, typically more than 20 per cyathium. Anther size: Less than 1 mm. Anther shape: Oval. Anther color: 46A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: 7A. Pistils: No pistillate flowers observed. Nectary color: 21A.

Disease resistance: No fungal, bacterial nor viral problems observed on plants grown under commercial conditions.

Postproduction longevity: Generally plants maintain good substance and bract color for about eight weeks under interior conditions. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckabri’, as illustrated and described. 